What Makes A Commitment?

Erik Ledin, personal development coach and a word-renowned authority in the realm of fitness and nutrition, knows a bit about commitment. Having helped almost 10,000 people achieve their health, fitness, fat loss, and performance goals by unlocking the power of their minds, he can certainly speak to this topic.

We asked Coach Ledin, who-along with his wife Amy-owns and operates Lean Bodies Consulting, about what commitment REALLY means. Here’s what he had to say.

Do What’s Required

“Look, in the end, there are just certain things which must be done to reach any goal”, says Ledin. “There is an opportunity cost involved to meeting goals. You will have to leave behind the old version of you, what was comfortable, what appeared fulfilling, etc., in order to become the best version of yourself.”

Do What You Said You’d Do

Coach Ledin has heard a lot of people since 2004 talk about how much they “want it”. “Saying you want it is fine, saying you’ll do whatever I ask is fine…but your behaviors have to be in line with and congruent to what you SAY you want…and that has to happen daily.”

Do It Regardless of Mood, Feelings, Thoughts, or Circumstances

Ledin points out, insightfully, “Look, there are people out there with 10x the amount of excuses you have who are accomplishing the exact things you want. And, this is the real catch, because, you know, when it comes to something like weight loss, impatience and frustration can set in because it’s not happening fast enough. The enthusiasm may start to wane a bit. But committed people do what they said they’d do, trust in a process, and see a bigger picture even if they are having a bad day, hit a stall, etc.”

And the real key? Ledin says it’s all about meaningful incentive. “You have to have a big enough WHY to carry you through a commitment. You have to see a better version of yourself. If you have to get-and stay-introspective with your thinking and ask yourself how your life is going to get better if you reach your goal. If you don’t reach your goal, how does your life take a hit? Why is having a 6-pack or being a size 4 important on a deeper level? How will this impact your confidence, how will meeting this goal improve your life in other areas…whether that be as spouse, parent, employee, etc.?”